WHO DID THIS? BMW Wagon I Bought At Auction LOADED with Improper Repairs. Can We Right These Wrongs?

This video has ONE goal. MAKE. IT. RUN. I know these "will it run?" type of videos have been pretty popular on the channel and what better questionable result could there be than an auction bought inoperative 13 year old BMW?
I'm just good at collecting basket cases I tell ya.
Somehow I landed this clean title 2010 BMW 535i X-drive Wagon with reasonable miles for a reasonable price and a "Mechanical" loss type at the auction.
I've already owned one of these cars for years so I'm very familiar with their multiple failure points and possible issues. I had NO idea how good or bad this car was, I just knew the risk was low as the price was cheap enough to still come out ahead if the car wasn't worth repairing by simply parting it out.
Digging into this car exposed so many incorrect repairs and bandaids that I'm almost afraid to tackle the less important things, but I will eventually.
Let it be known, I don't think these are good cars for everyone. They are great cars for people like me who like to turn wrenches and don't mind spending time and money fixing the things that fail as they will. I do like how they look and drive which is why I'd even be willing to put up with their "reliability" in the first place.
I do have grand plans for this car as an eventual replacement for my blue 535xi wagon. Of those plans, the big ones are converting this car to RWD and manual transmission, unlike any wagon sold in North America. It will certainly be a while before this car makes an appearance on the channel again. Hopefully by summer time I'll have the other project cars done and this one can get into the limelight. I just didn't want to pass up the chance for the cost even though the timing wasn't perfect.

I hope you enjoyed this midweek video. You can look for many more of these over the coming year!
As always I like all of the comments, feedback and criticism.
Catch you on the next one!
-Eric

[dawnpoint]

Eric's Automotive Adventures are more captivating than anything on TV these days. Best part of my week.

[bibliophile]

I'm really looking forward to finding all the other fun "repairs" the previous owner did.

[Coupegt]

As a long-time Audi guy, I should probably tread carefully here, but for some reason I break into a cold sweat whenever I see someone trying to fix a Bimmer. It just seems like sadness is never very far away…. Kudos to you for being willing to try, and able to overcome all of the gremlins. It’s clear that a resilient nature, a great sense of humor, and at least one parts car are really helpful! Thanks for sharing, and it’ll be great to see how this one moves along. There’s always something special about successfully resurrecting a car in distress…

[fharrisstowe]

Always fun to watch a masochist enjoy his affliction -- Happy New Year!

[KentuckyColonel]

"as long as you win more than you lose I think you're doing ok".... now that is a Midwestern statement of wisdom right there! 💯💣💥

[knight]

I saw a while ago where you said there are a lot of comments about people wouldn’t wanting you working on their cars, I know you’re business is dismantling cars but watching you working on cars it’s clear you know what you are doing and do it well. I wouldn’t have an issue with your work and it’s a great seeing someone do things so meticulously and doing it the right way.

[nerdboy]

For less than a G, I think you got a great "diamond in the rough." The electronics modules aren't too horrid to do with junkyard replacements and a laptop with some software "freely" available on the internet. This car looks like it was REALLY spec'ed out by whoever purchased it. Noticing the night vision cam; those aren't very common.
As someone who's done the CCC ---> CIC conversion, it's nice to have it already. Parts are hard to find, and swapping the console controller is a pain.
The CIC can be even further modernized with android auto/apple carplay boxes. 2-300 from Chinese retailers like Kremersino, and not too hard to put in. They just use the CAN bus inputs from the controller and sit between the head unit and display to give you a full phone experience without interfering with or replacing any factory hardware.

[richardblanchard]

I enjoy your engine tear downs. However, I really love these restoration videos. It is so much more satisfying to see a unit returned to life. I hope that you will have time and the budget to do many more of these projects.

[willgallatin]

Eric, when/if you pull that fuel tank setup, tie a string to the crossover lines before you pull it out. Then you can use the string to help guide the lines back into place. Should save you some irritation.

[bogartaspen]

Thank you for providing a laugh along with repairing the car! Most of the YouTube mechanics sound like they're delivering a sermon from the mount! The amazing thing is you sorted out some very deep problems in a short time!

[karras]

I feel you man, its really soulcrushing to see station wagons fading way and being replaced with other car platforms converted into
Since i was a kid i fell in love with the shoebox volvo station wagons and since then the love for those never stopped, but nowdays is like a niche fetish or something.

[davidstewart]

It's simply amazing the way you got through all that without swearing once. If I'd been doing that job the air would have been blue throughout the whole ordeal.

[fitfogey]

Have no illusions. This guy is an elite mechanic.

[DaveOsborne-dw]

Hi, I really enjoyed watching you work on a car in the real world, rather than the engine out. I thought it was only me that has everything go wrong when you try to fix a problem. I am just a home DIY mechanic, but I learn a lot from your videos and also all of the common failures on car engines. This is so useful to help me make an informed decision on any car I purchase in the future. You do a GREAT JOB and I have watched MANY of your videos. Keep up the good work and continue to educate us all on engines, failures and things to look for. I enjoy your comments and jokes on the channel. You are the only mechanic I follow on YouTube! Congrats on a superb channel - Looks forward to your next ones and watching you work on engines in cars is awesome - do some more - Dave from the UK. :)

[benkromphardt]

These are great. You don't BS, you don't advertise for an hour, and you quickly (and effectively) tear through the problems. Thanks for making these!

[chriscrafting]

REALLY looking forward to more on this (enjoying the 911 series as well). I considered a BMW wagon 12yrs ago, but went with a 2004 Volvo V70R 6sp instead. It's still our DD with few issues. I miss the gadgetry, but it's much simpler to maintain. Not working at a european shop anymore made owning a german car a daunting task. Your work/repair ethics are refreshing as I too believe things should be done correctly down to the minute details. Will be vicariously enjoying this series!

[saltycreole]

The tank assembly is why I had two more children so late in life. (I'm 65) My 21 yr old daughter does this backbreaking work for me while I sit back and "coach". The other daughter loves hard work, she could watch it all day!

[chrisl]

I’m really glad to have found your channel. Your engine teardowns are great fun as are your various car projects. Those of us who’ve been waist deep in repairs definitely appreciate the humor and determination you bring to challenging jobs that may or may not work out as planned. Above all, your knowledge of each car’s quirks and your troubleshooting techniques are an education for all of us. Keep up the great work!

[dennissheridan]

You said that the car had sat for awhile, hence the corrosion on visible parts of engine. That corrosion could go a lot deeper and involve a number of things, most notably electrical connections. I was a radar maintenance type in the service and when we got into the digital age and working with low voltages (.001 > 28VDC) a common fix for a problem was to simply pop a circuit card loose and reseat it in it's connector. Moving the coil packs around accomplished that and now the full voltage is flowing to all necessary places. I agree with your question "who the hell worked on that car" all I know is I wouldn't, I diddled a little with my `78` Subaru, setting valves, replacing water pump, but I wouldn't even think of tinkering with my `22` Roo with twin cams and all the electronics.

[mphilleo]

I enjoyed this video, much like your Miata and Corvette series. As much as I like watching you tear down an engine, it's interesting to watch you rationally diagnose and work through someone's previous bodges. Plus, the color combo on this is sweet, you can't beat dark green exterior with tan/brown interior.